A federal judge in Delaware has issued a ruling in the trademark dispute between Elon Musk’s social media company, X, and a rival startup, Operation Bluebird, which had launched a competing platform initially named Twitter.now. The court sided with X in barring the startup from using the Twitter name, affirming X’s continued ownership of the principal Twitter trademark. However, the judge also determined that X likely abandoned trademarks related to the “Tweet” wordmark and the iconic Twitter bird logo, allowing Operation Bluebird to use these marks for the time being.

Following the court’s decision, Operation Bluebird rebranded its service as Tweet.app and launched the platform to the public. The startup, run by legal professionals Michael Peroff and Stephen Coates—both with backgrounds in trademark law—is perceived more as an entity aiming to claim abandoned Twitter intellectual property than as a purely new social network builder. Their stated mission has been to reclaim trademarks that Musk’s company relinquished when X rebranded from Twitter, tapping into lasting user affection for the original Twitter brand.

Despite its controversial positioning, Tweet.app has generated notable early interest, with over 172,000 pre-launch handle requests reportedly submitted. The company charges $20 for users to reserve their handles and join the service, a fee likely aimed at offsetting ongoing legal expenses. The platform remains in early testing, seeking to carve out a space by leveraging the available “Tweet” trademark while the broader legal battle continues.

The preliminary court ruling, delivered by U.S. District Judge Colm F. Connolly, is not final and leaves the door open for further proceedings regarding trademark ownership. The judge granted X a preliminary injunction on the use of eight Twitter-related trademarks but refused the injunction concerning the “Tweet” mark and bird logo, indicating the startup’s strong case that X ceased bona fide use of those marks. As this case proceeds, the industry watches closely to see whether the remaining Twitter trademarks will revert or remain with X, under its rebranded identity.